Okra machine



J. N. ECONOMOS.

OKRA MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 15. 1921.

1,425,373.. P t n ed Aug. 8, 1922..

4 SHEETSSHEEI I.

jZZ M. A1442? 1. N. ECOYNOMOS.

OKRA MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-15,1921.

Patented Aug 8, 1922.

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OKRA MACHINE.

APPLICATION man Nov. 15, 1921.

affozuc q J. N. ECONOMOS.

OKRA MACHINE. APPLICAHON FILED NOV-15,1921- 1 A25, 373, v Patnted Aug.8, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT 'QFFMZE.

JAMES recr ates 0F eeiHNe eileeeme 9. 5.34 M QHQI Application filedNovember 15, 1921. Serial No. 515,307.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that JAMES N. EcoNoMos; a subject of the King of Greece,residing at Daphne, in the county of Baldwin'and State of Alabama, hasinvented new and useful Improvements in Okra Machines; of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means forheading and cleaning okra without resorting to the tedious plan now incommon use of handling the steins individually and manu ally andfurthermore to provide means whereby the separation of the heads fromthe whole okra may be accomplished and the latter may be cleansed orbrushed to remove the fibres or whiskersl with an efiiciency which isimpossible economically by the methods now in'practi'ce; and with theseobjects in view the invention consists in a construction and combinationof parts of which a preferred embodiment is SllOWn, in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1. is an ele'vation'partlyin section of amachine embodying the-invention.-

Figure 2 is a plan view of thesame.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line3- 3 of Figure 1.

Figure i is an enlarged detail sectional view of the means for'removingthe okra heads. Y

Figures 5 and 6 are detail views the cutter blades forming elements ofthe cutter mechanism.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the upper portion ofthe cleaning mechanism.

The apparatus embodies essentially the cutter mechanism 19 consisting ofa plurality of units preferably arranged in a series and supported by atable 11 having lateral upstanding guards 12 upon which the okra may beplaced in preparation for treatment, the series of cutters or headersbeing arranged adjacent to one edge of the table so as to besimultaneously accessible to a number of operators occupying for examplea bench 13 parallel "therewith; means for conveying the okra fro m thecutting or heading mechanism asit is headed, and cleaning mechanism forreceiving the okra from the conveyer and subjecting the same to abrushing apparatus and a blast for the removal of dust, fibres or anyother foreign. matter including the so called his e 777 In theconstruction illustrated the cutting or header mechanism consists ofaplate'M provided wlth openings 15and 16for the reception of okra.heads, and preferably of different sizes asindicated, andhutter plates17 and 18 of which the former is reciprocablymounted incontact with theunder surface of the plate 1 1 and between the same and the plate 18,with the latter secured to the base plate let by bolts 19 extendingthrough a "longitudinal "slot 20, in the reciprocable. platewliich isactuable in one direction by a sprlng 21 having a tensioning bolt 22, and in the opposite direction by'a' cam 23 can ried by a shaft 24;. In theconstruction illustrated the plates 17 and 18 are provided withdepending ears 17 and 18 for Sup: porting the spring 21 of thetensioning device, and extending downward from the open ngs 15 and 16,through which the okra heads ar p oje ted to be detached by the pl te17, is a c rrier tube 25 pro ide at its upper end with a funnel-26 150receiving the heads as they are separated. The carrier t bes 2 of t eSer s of cutt ng or heading units deposit the heads upon a .conveyer 27which carries the same to a re;

ceptacle 28 at one end of the -machine.

Obviously any suitable means may beenp ployed for driving said shaft 24;and the conveyer, but in the construction illustrated a pulley 29 isattached to the shaft which in turn is connected by bevel gears 3Q withan upright shaft 31, and this in turn connected by :bevel gears 32 whicha horizontal shaft 33 carrying one end of the conveyer belt 27. i v

Adjacent to each cutting or heading devicerand formed in the tabletopwithin convenient reach of the 'operator'is an opening for thereception of the whole okra, and leading from these openings arechutes35 for conducting the okra to a conveyer having an endless beltextending longitud'n nally of the frame of the machine and communicatingwith an elevator 3 7 also of the endless type which the o kra iscondiicted to and deposited upon a sieve 38 disposed at a rearwardinclination and extendin at.

its rear edge under ah'ood 39. sieve is designed to separate any loose"dust or particles of foreign material from the okra, and to this end ismounted for reciprocatory movement on guides 40 and is actuated by meansof an eccentric 41 connected with the sieve by a pitman i an driven byashaft ft?) the okra to a storage bin or suitablereceptacle and:intercepting the chute 55 by which receives its motion through gearing44 from the shaft of one otthe brush'drums of which a plurality shown at45, 46 and 47 are arranged in a suitable supporting frame work 48 whichalso serves to support the sieve 38.

The hood 39 servesto prevent deflection of the okra as it passes fromthe sieve to a chute 49 bywhich it is conveyed to the casing oi tlieuppermost drum a5, said casing which is indicated at 50 being incommunication by a chute 51 with a similar casing 52 of the drum l6 andwhich in turn is in communication by a chute 53 with the casing 54L ofthe drum 47.. Leading from the casing 54 isan outlet chute 55 to conveymeans of suitable openings in the vwalls thereof is a blast of airproduced by a fan 5721s a final. means of removing anydust' and fibreWhlCh may have been loosened by the passage of the okra: through theseveral casings in which it is'subjectedto the action of the drums. iThe drums areotf the'brush type and operate in relation to breasts L5,46* and 47 arranged in operative relation respectively with the drumsand preferably mounted for yielding movementtoward and from the drumsunder the control of springs 58 which areadapted to be tensio ned bysuit able adjusting devices indicated at 59.

The means for contnnunicating rotary motion to the drums obviously maybe variously constructed, a simple arrangement being illustrated in thedrawing and consisting of belts 60 traversing suitable pulleys6l. Theeffect of the apparatus as will be obvious from. the foregoingdescription to permit of the quick and effective removal of the headsanda thorough cleansing and conditioning of the whole okra including theremoval therefrom or any dust which may have." been accumulatedthereonin the growth or harvesting thereof to the end thatjthe productis in a marketable condiw tlon when delivered at the outlet into thereceptacle or bin provided for its reception, and in this connection themanualYhandling of the materialhas been minimized to that incidentaltopresenting the heads to the cutting mechanism.

arranged in position for usdby reversing" the plate, and mayite 11 deofa different size to? adapt the same :tor different con'- ditionsof theproduct. i A

Also the suriaics otthe cylinder or casing breasts with which the brushdrums cooperate arepreterably of corrugated rubber as indicated toafford a frictional or rubbing actlon which tends to effectively re movethe fuzz or whiskers from the okra as ,it is necessaryfin order toprepare the product for the market.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new and useful is: a

1. An okra conditioning apparatus hav ing the cutting orhea-dingmechanism, a

cleaning mechanism for receiving and recleaning-mecl1anismforreceivinand removing foreign matter :i'rom tie whole okra, anchsepara'teconveyers for respectivelyreceiving the heads and wholeokra from thecutting mechanism, the latter of which is arranged to convey to the okracleaning mechanism, the cutting or heading mechanism consisting of aplurality of; units, and chutes respectively related with said units forconveying the heads and whole okra independently toseparate conveyers. 1i i 1 An okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a cleaningmechanisnhfor receiving and removing foreign matterfrom the whole okra, and separate conveyors for respec# tively receivingthe'headsand whole okra from the tutting mechanism, the latter of whichis arranged'to convey to the okra cleaning mechanism, the cuttingmechanism having spaced stationary vplates provided with registeringopenings for the re- (eptionof theokra heads, a cutter platereclprocably mounted betweensaid stationary plates and. means plate a 4.An okra conditioning apparatus havingy the cutting orheading mechanism,a cleaning mechanism for receiving and'removing foreign matterwfrom thewhole okra, and separate conveyers for respectively receiving the headsand whole okra from the cutting mechanism, the latter of for actuatingtlie' cutter ing the cutting or heading mechanism, a cleaning mechanismfor receiving and removing foreign matter from the whole okra, andseparate conveyers for, respectively re ceiving the heads and whole okrafrom the cutting mechanism, the latter of which is arranged to convey tothe okra cleaning mechanism. the cutting or heading mocha nism having areversible face plate provided with graduated head. receiving openingsand a continuously operable reciprocatory cutter blade arranged tooperate in the plane adjacent to one surface of said face plate andhaving a shearing action with relation to the openings therein.

6. in okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a cleaning mechanism for receiving and removing foreignmatter from the whole okra, and separate conveyors for respectivelyreceiving the heads and whole okra from the cutting mechanism, thelatter of which is arranged to convey to the okra cleaning mechanism,the cleaning mechanism including a preliminary shaker screen, rotarybrush and cylinder abrading means for receiving the whole okra from thescreen, and means for actuating said screen and brush.

7. An okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a cleaning mechanism for receiving and removing foreignmatter from the whole okra, and separate conveyers for respectivelyreceiving the heads and whole okra from the cutting mechanism, thelatter of which is arranged to convey to the okra cleaning mechanism,the cleaning mechanism including preliminary shaker screen, rotarybrush. and cylinder abrading means for receiving the whole okra from thescreen, and means for actuating said screen and brush, a directing hoodbeing disposed in overlapping relation with the discharge end of theshaker screen.

8. An okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a cleaning mechanism for receiving and re moving foreignmatter from the whole kra, and separate conveyers for respectivelyreceiving the heads and whole okra from the cutting mechanism, thelatter of which is arranged to convey to the okracleaning mechanism,the. cleaning mechanism including a preliminary shaker screen, rotarybrush and cylinder abrading means for receiving the whole okra from thescreen, and means for actuating said screen and brush, the screen beinginclined downwardly from its receiving toward its discharge end foreffecting the gravital feeding of the okra.

9. An okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a cleaning mechanism for receiving and removing foreignmatter from the whole okra, and'separate conveyers for respectively re-vceiving theheads and whole okra. from the cutting mechanism, the latterof which arranged to convey to the okra cleaning mechanism, the cleaningmechanism including; a plurality, of brushing deviceseach having; arotary brush "and cooperative cylinder,- with the cylinders arranged inser es plurality of brushing devices each having a rotary brush andcooperative cylinder, with the cylinders arranged in series foreffecting the successive presentation of the okra to the several brushesof the series, the cylinders having movable breasts arranged in yieldingrelation With the brushes.

11. An okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a cleaning mechanism for receiving and removing foreignmatter from the whole okra, and separate conveyers for respectivelyreceiving the heads and Whole okra from the cutting mechanism, thelatter of which is arranged to convey to the okra cleaning mechanism,the cleaning mechanism including a plurality of brushing devices eachhaving a rotary brush and cooperative cylinder, with the cylindersarranged in series for effecting the successive presentation of the okrato the several brushes of the series, the cylindershaving movablebreasts arranged in yielding relation with the brushes and provided withcorrugated faces.

12. An okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a cleaning mechanism for receiving and removing foreignmatter from the whole okra, and separate conveyers for respectivelyreceiving the heads and whole okra from the cutting mechanism, thelatter of Which is arranged to convey to the okra cleaning mechanism,the cleaning mechanism including a plurality of brushing devices eachhaving a rotary brush and cooperative cylinder, with the cylindersarranged in series for effecting the successive presentation of the okrato the several brushes of the series, the cylinders having movablebreasts arranged in yielding relation with the brushes and provided withcorrugated faces of frictional material.

13. An okra conditioning apparatus having the cutting or headingmechanism, a

cleaning meclienisin for receiving and "removing foreignmatter from theWhole okra, and. separate conveye'rs for respectively receiving theheadsnnd Whole okra fronr the cutting mechanism, the latter of Which isarranged to convey to the okra cleaning mechanism, the cleanlngliilBGllEtIllSID lncludring a plurality of brushing devices each havinga rotary brush and cooperatlve cylln- 10 der, With the cylindersarranged 111' series for effecting the successive presentation of JAMESN. EOONOMOSl

